waring



3 Sheets -Sheet 1' (Nomodel') I. E. WARING.

DESK.

P tentedDec. 25, 1888. No. 895,194. a Fig-L N PETERS. mwumn mWashingken. n, c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. E. WARING.

- DESK.

No. 395,194. Patented Dec. 25, 1888..

W E5555: I \/E'. n 5 a (42:4,

ATfF- N. PETERS, Photo-Lithographer, Wnsllingflm, D. Q

88heets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

P. E. WARING.

DESK.

No. 395,194. Patented Dec. 25, 1888.

. ENJQFG N. PETERS. Pmwumo n her, Wzlhinglnn. n. c,

UNITED STATES" PATENT FFlCE.

FRED. E. W ARING, OF SARATOGA SPRINGS, NElV YORK.

D E S K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,194, dated.December 25, 1888.

Application filed October '7, 1887. Serial No. 251,691. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED. E. \VARING, of Saratoga Springs, in the countyof Saratoga, State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Desks, of which the following is a description.sufiiciently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in theart or science to which said invention appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis speciiication, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of my improveddesk, the cover being represented as closed and a portion of the bodyand cover broken away to show some of the working parts; Fig. 2, a topplan view of the desk with the cover opened and concealed in the body;Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section of the same, taken on line 00 0cin Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a horizontal section taken on line y y in Fig. 3;Figs. 5, 6, and 7, views showing certain details of construction. Fig. 8is a vertical section of this improved desk. Figs. 9 and 10 illustratecertain details of construction.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts inthe different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates more especially to that class of desks which areprovided with adjustable covers adapted to be concealed in the body ofthe desk when open; and it consists in a novel construction andarrangement of parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed,the object being to produce a simpler, cheaper, and otherwise moredesirable device of this character than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of this improvement will be readily understoodby all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the body of the desk, and B the cover. ThebodyA is preferably circular in form, and consists of a top, I), andbottom (Z, connected by a vertical casing, f. The top is alsosupportedcent-rally by a vertical standard, g, the casing f extendinginward to said standard at the front of the body, thus forming aV-shaped space, D, for the feet of the user, as best shown in Fig. 4,the bottom (l being cut out to conform to this space. The top I) is cutaway slightly on the arc of a circle at the front above the space D, asshown at z in Fig. 2, to allow a person seated at the desk to approachnearer the same.

The desk is provided with a series of drawers, H, on either side of thespace D, which slide in suitable ways toward the center of the desk, asshown in Figs. 2 and a. A semicircular-shaped box, 72, (see Figs. 3 and4,) is

secured to the under side of the top I) at the rear portion thereof,said box being designed to hold the cover B of the desk when open. Thetop 1) is provided with a semicircular opening, 1', which corresponds inshape with the box 72, said box being cutaway at the centerof saidopening on'the same are of a circle as the front of the desk, as shownat o in Figs. 2 and 4.. A semicircular wooden strip or board, K, (seeFig. 2,) adapted to close the openings 1' T, is hinged at m to the topZ). A downwardly-proj ecting semicircular metallic rod, 7;, (see Fig.5,) is secured at Z to each end of the board K, on its under side, nearthe hinge m. Metallic bars a", (see Figs. 1 and 4,) semicircular and onthe same are as the strip K, and provided at each end with a notch, t,(see Fig. 4,) adapted to receive the outer edge of the rod 7., by whichthey are supported, (see Fig. 1,) form the ribs for the cover B. Theribs r are covered with cloth, leather, or similar material, 2), (seeFig. 1,) which is secured to the inner side of the strip K and to a freewooden strip or rib, M, similar in shape to the strip K. The ends of thestrip M are slotted, as indicated by the dotted. lines 25 in Fig. 1, toallow the rod k to pass through it when the cover is opened, ashereinafter described.

The lower portion of the inner edge of the rod in is provided withindentations or notches 26, (see Fig. 5,) and a horizontally-arrangedflat spring, 27, provided with a wedge-shaped head, 28, adapted toengage said notches, is secured to a block, 29, fastened to the top 1)near the hinge m, said spring and head eonstituting a spring-catch. Thetop I) is provided with an opening, 30, (see Fig. 5,) to re ceive thefree end of the rod 7; when the cover is opened, and thus allow thestrip K to lie in the same plane as said top.

In the use of my improvement, the top be ing closed, as shown in Fig. 1,to open the desk the strip K is elevated or turned back toward the rearof the desk on its hinges m, the curved rod 70 being carried backward ina circular direction, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. As the rod75 passes backward it slips through the slots t 25 in the ribs 7' M, thestrip or rib M falling in a vertical line into the box h as thecovering 1) is loosened, and the ribs r in turn fall onto said stripwithin said box until they occupy the position shown in Fig. 3, and thestrip K fills the opening in the top I), so that its surface is level,as shown in Fig. 2.

The purpose of the notches 26 in the rod is and the spring 27 is toprevent the cover B from falling too suddenly into the box h after ithas passed the vertical center of the desk, the head of the spring 27entering said notches and gradually retarding the progress of the stripK.

To close the cover the operator grasps a handle, 35, on the strip K,drawing it toward him, the ribs 0" traveling forward on'the rod ]t' andthe strip M rising until it fills the opening 1' in the top I), as shownin Fig. l, the strip K meanwhile resting on the front of said top andclosing the circular opening 2 by means of the same circular projectionused to close the opening 1) when the cover is open.

The front of the top b may be provided with any suitable lock, 36, tosecure the strip K to it when the desk is closed.

A case of drawers and pigeon-holes, N, (see Fig. 6,) arranged in anydesired manner, is mounted on casters and designed to be disposed on thetop I) and inclosed by the cover B when the desk is closed.

I do not confine myself to any particular construction for the case N orto its use, as it may be omitted entirely, if desired. Neither do Iconfine myself to disposing the ribs 1' on the rod 70 by means of theirslots 2, as described, as the rod 7; may be constructed in the shape ofa track or groove and the ribs adjusted therein by means of a pin, 38,as shown in Fig. '7.

It will be understood that the cover B is adapted for use upon a squareor rectangularshaped desk, as well as the circular one described; and Ido not therefore confine myself to constructing said cover in thecircular shape described.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is 1. In a desk of thecharacter described, the top I), provid;d with the opening *5 and box h,in combination with strip K, circular rod 70, ribs 0", strip M, covering1), casing f, and bottom (1, substantially as set forth.

2. In a desk of the character described, the rod k, having the notches26, in combination with the top I), strip K, hinged to said top,standard 29, and spring 27, secured to said standard, and having thehead 28, adapted to engage said notches, substantially as set forth.

In a desk of the character described, the cover B, consisting of thestrip K, rods k, secured to said strip, ribs 1", adapted to travel onsaid rods, strip M, having the slots 25, and coveringp, secured to saidribs and strips, in combination with the body A and means for concealingsaid cover in said body, substantially as set forth.

4. The improved desk herein described, the same consisting of thecircular body A, having the opening D, the drawers H, disposed in saidbody at either side of said opening, the top Z), having the openings 21', the box h, secured to said top, the strip K, hinged in the opening2', the curved rods is, secured to said strip and having the notches 26,the ribs 1", adapted to travel on said rods, the rib or strip M, havingthe slots 25, the covering 19, secured to said ribs and strips, and thesprings 27, secured to said top and each having the head 28, adapted toengage the notches in the rods 7;, all being combined and arranged tooperate substantially as set forth.

FRED. E. VARING.

Vitn esses:

O. M. SHAW, C. A. SHAW.

